Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Lightweight prospects Steve Lopez and Nik Lentz will step into the Octagon for the first time on September 19th, as they replace the injured Thiago Tavares and Dan Lauzon, respectively, on the UFC 103 card at Dallas’ American Airlines Center." />

Lopez, Lentz Step Up for UFC 103 Bouts; Neer in for Sherk at UFC 104

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Lightweight prospects Steve Lopez and Nik Lentz will step into the Octagon for the first time on September 19th, as they replace the injured Thiago Tavares and Dan Lauzon, respectively, on the UFC 103 card at Dallas’ American Airlines Center.

Lightweight prospects Steve Lopez and Nik Lentz will step into the Octagon for the first time on September 19th, as they replace the injured Thiago Tavares and Dan Lauzon, respectively, on the UFC 103 card at Dallas’ American Airlines Center.

South Bend, Indiana’s Lopez (12-1) will take on Jim Miller, and Minnesota’s Lentz (19-3-1) – a native of El Paso, Texas – will battle Rafaello Oliveira.

Said Lopez of his bout against Miller, “He’s a very tough, well rounded opponent, and he’s very game. Between the two of us we have had 29 professional fights and neither of us has been finished. It’s going to be a war.”

Lentz, who trains out of Minnesota Martial Arts Academy with the likes of Brock Lesnar and Sean Sherk, is equally excited about his Octagon debut, saying, “This is something I have wanted to accomplish for a long time and I’m glad it’s about to happen.”

In other injury news, a separated shoulder has forced Sherk, the former UFC lightweight champion, out of his UFC 104 bout in October against Gleison Tibau. Jumping into the fray to take on the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace on October 24th at Los Angeles’ STAPLES Center is hard-hitting Iowa veteran Josh Neer.